Froth flotation is a process for concentrating minerals from ores. In a froth flotation process, the ore is crushed and wet ground to obtain a pulp. Additives such as mineral flotation or collecting agents, frothing agents, suppressants, stabilizers, etc., are added to the pulp to assist separating valuable minerals from the undesired or gangue portion of the ore in subsequent flotation steps. The pulp is then aerated to produce a froth at the surface. The froth containing the minerals which adhere to the bubbles is skimmed or otherwise removed and collected and further processed to obtain the desired minerals. Typical mineral flotation collectors include xanthates, amines, alkyl sulfates, arene sulfonates, dithiocarbamates, dithiophosphates and thiols.
Trithiocarbonates have also been described to be effective ore flotation agents, see for example, Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 22, 1319. U.S. Pat. No. 1,659,396 discloses the use of S,S'-diethyltrithiocarbonate as a copper ore flotation agent in a froth flotation process. U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,686 describes the use of kerosene, light oils and petroleum lubricants as promoters in a copper ore froth flotation process wherein xanthates, mercaptans and such type compounds are used as collectors. U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,193 discloses a process of separating molybdenum sulfide from other sulfide ores by froth flotation using a metal cyanide and a hydrocarbon fuel oil with or without a frother.
It is desirable in the minerals recovery technology to have collector systems available in a froth flotation process which are highly efficient and which are highly selective to a specific mineral.